


An Alternate Cure

by celestial_hieroglyphs



Category: Not Another D&D Podcast (Podcast)
Genre: Angst, Canon Divergence, Gen, No Ending, Self-Sacrifice, fun fact lydia stormborn deserves the world, this isnt a fic as much as me being sad for 1/4 of a page
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:08:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21813445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celestial_hieroglyphs/pseuds/celestial_hieroglyphs
Summary: An alternate cure of vampirism arises.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	An Alternate Cure

It didn’t matter what had happened before

It didn’t matter how they got here

It shouldn’t. have mattered. who owed who.

but it did

And so, Lydia Stormborn, former servant of the Light, sailor of the sky, and once the most loved woman in the world, stood before her husband’s god,

In the Hall of Kord.

Her son, an incredible and terrible concept, stood behind her. Stood _tall_ like his father, stood _proud_ like his father, stood _weary_ and _worn_ and _tired_ and _broken_ and **_just like his mother_**. And as he stood, he didn’t breathe once; all because her pursuit of revenge led him to his death, and then to undeath. He was a walking nightmare.

Her son, an incredible and terrible concept, was a monster among men.

Still- he was, at least, a man among his friends. Despite both Stormborns’ insistence that the fight was theirs alone, a hospitable young woman, a very good boy, an excellent father, and a fully feral possum all stood at their sides- breathing.

(Unlike either Stormborn.)

Lydia's face was marked by weeks of torment, months of undeath, and years of death. Her hands were likewise marred by years of sword wielding, years of wheel spinning, and months of chains. And she clenched them into tight fists, as she began to speak.

“Kord, god of storms and battle-”

“Lydia, no need for formality! C'mere!” He boomed, with a voice like crackling lighting and crashing thunder and home home home. She beamed and went to his currently not so massive form, a being of pure muscle and storm clouds. Their hands met in a predator handshake that seemed to light the room.

“I thought you’d-I-I don't even know!" She said as it turned into a crackly hug.

“Ah, I mean, you didn't betray me or anything! I was disappointed, was really looking forward to watching you kill the shit out of that motherfucker but,” He trailed off.

They parted and she looked back at her son, who was making direct eye contact with Kord and, in no uncertain terms, filled with shame. “Can’t be mad at you either, Hardwon. You know my whole thing, scorn cowardice in any form. Y'did alright, boy.”

Hardwon visibly relaxed, familiar broad shoulders falling, accompanied by a shaky smile and something resembling a sigh. “Thanks.”

There was a beat of awkward silence as Lydia remembered why she was here. “Kord. You-you were keeping track of the deal, so, you know that I’ve completed my end. Even if a bit late,” She added the last remark with the laugh she’d accidentally stolen from her husband.

He nodded. “Yeah. You’ve always had a place in my court, Ly-”

“But I’m afraid I can’t take the reward… Let me finish.” She said, to a god.

He looked… as perplexed as a mass of storm clouds with biceps and a face could. Thunder rumbled around them and Hardwon moved forward.

“You too. Listen." She placed a hand on his shoulder without looking at him. "The only reason my son is like that is because I crawled out of my grave to kill a breathy twink. It’s on me. So, I wanna use our agreement to fix… a different mistake of mine. Cure my boy.”

Hardwon grabbed her hand, and the boy who she could only remember as an ignorant axe wielding jock or an infant with his father’s eyes, searched her face. He looked so distressed and desperate, and much as she wanted to fix it, this was a hurt she couldn’t heal.

“Mom- Mom, no. I- It was me who killed Galad, I doomed you. But you killed Galad, saved me, we’re even- you don’t need to do this!”

“Hah. Elias, there’s no even here. I’m your mother. I protect you, you're not supposed to take hits for _me_. And this-” She placed her hand on his grey skin, “this is a hell of a hit.”


End file.
